Device for the transport of containers



T. IMMESBERGER DEVICE FOR THE TRANSPORT OF' CONTAINERS Dec. 3o, 1958 4Sheets-Sheet l Fileq oct. 5,y 1954 Dec. 30, 1958 T. IMMESBERGER DEVICEFOR THE TRANSPORT OF' CONTAINERS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 5, 1954Dec. 30, 1958 T. IMMESBERGER 1 2,865,537

DEVICE Foa THE TRANSPORT oF CONTAINERS Filed 00T. 5, 1954 4 sheets-sheet5 Dec. 30,1958 'T. IMMESBERGER O H 2,866,537

` DEVICE FOR THE TRANSPORT OF CONTAINERS Filed Oct. 5, 1954 4Sheets-Sheet 4 F/Ci.

United States Pat, ,O

DEVICE FOR THE TRANSPGRT F lCONTAINERS Theobald Immesberger,Kaiserslautern, Germany, as-

signor to G. M. Pfaif A.G., Kaiserslautem/Pfalz, Germany, a corporationof Germany Application October 5, 1954, Serial No. 460,445

Claims priority, application Germany October 7, 1953 2 Claims. (Cl.198-181) The invention relates to a device for the transport ofcontainers, boxes and the like.

This transport is being effected by an endless chain or band supportedand driven in a closed horizontal cycle by wheels located upon verticalshafts.

The invention is preferably used in work places Where the workingmachines are located along said band and on both sides thereof; it isadvisable to load the articles to be transported in containers, whichcan be separated from the endless chain or band for loading or otherwork purposes.

Optimum working conditions prevail if the containers are located in adirect succession and with a possibly small space therebetween, as inthis case the containers need not to be furnished with a table plate;still a dropping-down of the transported materials between thecontainers will not occur even if the latter are inaccurately charged orare removed; moreover, if using the device in a continuous cycle, it ispossible to work simultaneously with an already advanced and with afollowing container.

With transport devices of the here denoted type being operated by anendless transport chain the operating width between the two longitudinalportions of the chain should be possibly reduced, since this measureenables a better utilization of the working space.

The main ditculties with regard to reduction of the distance between thecontainers and of the width of the installation arise at the reversalplaces of the chain since its driving wheels should have a possiblysmall size and since the containers or their carriers should move aroundfrom one into the opposite advance direction without enlargementv of thedistance between the two chain sections; a further postulate with regardto a satisfactory operation of transport devices of the present typeconsists therein that the containers or its bottom portion should have arectangular shape to obtain a simple operation and an increased workingcapacity.

It is the object of the invention to comply with the above recitedpostulates in order to create a satisfactorily operative device for thetransport and the displacement of containers and boxes by means ofendless chains.

A preferable modiiication of the invention s illustrated by way ofexample in the attached drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a part of a device for the displacementand the transport of containers by means of an endless chain;

Fig. 2 is a top view of a part of the device showing the reversal pointof the chain;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the structure operatively connecting thechain and the container advancing means;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a further modication of the structureshown in Fig. Y3;

Pig. 5 is a top view ofthechain slide track at the place of itslubrication; and

Fig. 6 is a lateral view of a part of the chain supporting structure. y

As apparent from the drawings the rectangular containers A indicated inFigs. 1 and 2 by dotted lines are for transport purposes located upon asupporting struc-k ture shown in Fig. 6. The transport of the containersA is elected by an endless chain 1 which at its reversal points issupported upon chain wheels 34, located upon vertical shafts 32.

The containers are by the carriers 2, Fig. l, supported on swingablerollers 3 (Figs. l, 6). The carriers are provided with an arm 4extending towards endless chain 1; this arm 4 is rigidly connected witha lateral arm 5; a control arm 7 is by means of pivot 6 rotatablyconnected with arms 4, 5.

The carriers 2 and arms 4 are at their ends provided with angularholders 8. Arm 5 being rigidly connected with carrier 2 is rotatablyconnected with a pin 9 of the engaging member 10 of chain 1, Fig. l.

A similar engaging member 12 is rotatably connected with the free end ofcontrol arm 7 by means of pin 11. The engaging members 1li, 12 haveuppereplates 13 and lower plates 14, said plates 13 being solidlyconnected with the pins 9, 11, Fig. 3. The lower plates 14 are providedwith a ridge-shaped slide-projection 16, see Fig. 3. The connectingplates of the arms 5, 7 with the chain are spaced from each other.

In conformity with a further modiiication of the invention shown in Fig.4 the plate 15 is provided with a roller 17 replacing the projection 16.The plates 13, 14 are connected with and projected from the chain 1,Fig. l.

The support of the above described container transporting deviceconsists of columns 1S, crosswise carriers 19, 20 bars 21 and angularbars 22 as well as lateral boards 23, see Fig. 6. The lateral banks 23are provided at the upper ends thereof with reinforcing strip bearingtracks for the swingable roller 3.

A chain supporting slide track 24, Fig. 6, is located underneath theangle bars 22 and a protective plate 25 having a rounded lateral edge 26is fastened to the cross supports 19.

Lubricating vessels 27, Fig. 5, having a feed tube 28 and a wick holder29 are provided on-thc slide track 24, which supports the projection 16,Fig. 3, or rollers 17, Fig. 4. The wick 3i) is secured by two screws 31upon the slide track 24 on which the chain moves, Fig. S, and projectsthrough recesses of the same.

The reversal of the moving direction of the container carriers isillustrated in Fig. 2.

As apparent from the above the device moving the containers A along aclosed path comprises carriers 2, 8 which are provided with rollers 3,the container carriers being operatively connected with the two engagingmembers 16, 12 of chain 1; the connection with the engaging members l@is direct and with the engaging members l2 indirect over control arm 7.

A preferable solution of the problems involved in the use of the chaindriven containers consists in the use of substantially T-shapedcontainer carriers having arms 4, these arms being connected with thechain engaging members 1t), 12 by a rigidly connected arm 5 and acontrol. arm 7; the carriers are provided with the supf porting rollers3.

The engaging members 1t), 12 consist of two plateshaped upper plates 13and lower plates 14 which project from the chain 1, the one engagingmember 12 carrying pin 9 and the other engaging member 1t) carrying thepin 11.

If goods having a small weight are to be transported the support byridge-shaped projection 16 applied to the lower plate 14 satisfactorilyserves the desired transporting purposes; for heavier goods rollers maybe used to replace the projections. j

In order'to protect slide-track 24 against dirt accumulation aprotective plate 25 is applied to the chain sliding plane along itsentire lengthsaid plate 25 projecting Ice Patented Dec. 30, 1958` 3between the two plates 13, 14 and being provided with a rounded edge 26.i

Since certain changes may be made in the above device and differentembodiments of the invention could be made without departing from thescope thereof,`it is intended that all matter contained in the abovedescription or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted asillustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire tobe secured by Letters Patent, is as follows:

1. A device for the transport of containers, comprising an endless chainhaving two straight portions between two reversal portions, verticalshafts to drive said chain in a horizontal plane, said shafts beinglocated near the chain reversal portions, a carrier for each of saidcontainers adapted to be moved by said chain in the path of travel ofsaid chain including movement in opposite directions along said straightportions, said carrier including a container support, a first armrigidly connected to said support and a second arm pivoted to said lirstarm, near the point of interconnection between said support 4 and saidfirst arm, a pair of connecting members in a spaced relation to eachother on said chain, the free end of said first arm being pivoted to oneof said members, the free end of said second arm being pivoted to thesecond of said pair of members.

2. In a device according to claim l, a slide track, said connectingmembers having upper and lower plates projecting from said endlesschain, the upper plates having each a pin and the lower plates beingshaped to form a chain support and being located upon and engaging saidslide track.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,028,751 Levalley June 4, 1912 1,276,007 Bausman Aug. 20, 19181,688,551 Nix etal Oct. 23, 1928 1,723,941 Krenzke Aug. 6, 19291,847,524 Dezendorf Mar. 1, 1932 1,871,054 Hartley Aug. 9, 19322,253,846 Cornell Aug. 26, 1941

